HT's (Ad Nauseum)

[Billbrpt]

In a message dated 98-03-17 02:43:55 EST, you write:

<< Seriously. I can understand how pained you might be to hear that the tuning
work that you have been doing all these years is fundamentally wrong,
according to Bill Bremmer, and that you'd better start learning how and when
to tune historical temperaments. >>

I have never said that choosing to tune ET is "wrong".  It, for me however has
become the very last choice of temperament that I personally would ever make.
So far, since the beginning of 1990, I have never made that choice except when
working on an RPT Tuning Exam Master Tuning.

There is a kind of temperament that I have very explcitely stated was wrong:
Reverse-Well (RW).  Many on the List say they have never heard of it.  As a
CTE and because of my training as such, I have observed that it is a very
common result of practices which are flawed because of a lack of thorough
understanding of the issues of temperament.

When one believes that ET is really the only practical temperament to use and
to just get fairly close to a state of equality is good enough, the result
very often is RW and that is clearly wrong.  What is also wrong is closing
one's eyes to and turning away from the kind of knowledge and enlightenment
that can truly make the difference between a true ET and a RW.

I fully respect those technicians who believe in and choose ET as their
preferred choice of temperament.  I have a problem though with those whose
fundamental ignorance is their major stregnth.  Tom, I believe you will be a
far better tuner as the result of these discussions even if you never choose
to take up the HT's as part of your practice.  Keith M. has also stated that
he has carefully pondered these discussions.  He now uses an ETD that allows
him to tune a true ET with consistency.  The ETD will virtually never permit a
RW.  Tuning 4ths & 5ths only without 3rds checks or with only cursory or
dubiously valuable checks often results in an RW.

Loudly proclaiming the sole correctness of and ET and insisting on its
exclusive use but tuning instead an RW out of ignorance is tantamount to
bigotry.

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin